April 2023 Tulsa Lawyer Magazine

2022-2023 TCBA CONTACTS, COMMITTEE & SECTION CHAIRS

www.tulsabar.com

PHONE: 918-584-5243 FAX: 918-592-0208

1446 South Boston, Tulsa, OK 74119-3612

Executive Director

Tami Williams

tamiw@tulsabar.com

Ext. 1002

Membership Director CLE, Sections & Committees

Heather Heck heatherh@tulsabar.com

Ext. 1001

Front Desk Coordinator General Inquiries

frontdesk@tulsabar.com

Ext. 1000

Accounting accounting@tulsabar.com

Lawyer Referral & Community Resource Navigator

Jeril Haug jerilh@tulsabar.com

Ext. 1003

Tulsa Lawyer Editor - Michael Taubman michael@tulsafirm.com

Associate Editor - Milly Dunlap

Tulsa Lawyer Submissions - tulsabarnews@yahoo.com

TCBA OFFICERS

President ......................................................................Philip Hixon

Past President...............................................................Kara Vincent

President-Elect............................................................Mike Esmond

Vice President......................................................Stephanie Jackson

Secretary....................................................................... Lizzie Riter

Treasurer.............................................................. Michael Taubman

Budget/Internal Operations.........................................Austin Birnie

Foundation President ............................................Hon. Ann Keele

Director at Large (1) Large Firm.................................Natalie Sears

Director at Large (2) Large Firm.......................... Austin Birnie Director at Large (1) Medium Firm..................................Kara Pratt Director at Large (2) Medium Firm.................. Jennifer Struble Director at Large (1) Small Firm.................................. Mark Smith Director at Large (2) Small Firm...........................Linda Morrissey

Director at Large (2) Public Sector.........................Hon. Ann Keele

ABA Delegate............................................................. Molly Aspan

OBA Delegate................................................................Rick White

Library Trustee (1)........................................................ Julie Evans

Library Trustee (2)..................................................... Kim Vojvoda

Presiding Judge Hon. Doug Drummond

Chief Judge, U.S. District Court ...................Hon. John F. Heil, III

Chief Judge, Tulsa Municipal Court..........Hon. Gerald Hofmeister

TU Law School Student Representative Stephanie Acquario

FOUNDATION APPOINTMENTS

Law Day ................................................Hon. Martha Rupp Carter

Law Day Co-Chair....................................................Mary Clement

Community Outreach................................................ Ashley Webb

Golf Chair...................................................................Brian Keester

Scholarship Chair.......................................................Randy Lewin

Submission, Grapevine & Advertising- Visit www.tulsabar.com

Subscriptions to Tulsa Lawyer are available for $40.00 a year to those who are not Tulsa County Bar Association members or others who do not currently receive the publication. Contact tamiw@tulsabar.com

Tulsa Lawyer is a monthly publication of the TCBA. The TCBA does not necessarily share or endorse the opinions expressed in the materials published. The views are those of thoughtful contributors. Similarly, advertising does not imply endorsement by the TCBA of products or services or any statements concerning them.

FOUNDATION

President.................................................................Hon. Ann Keele

Foundation Vice President...........................................Justin Munn

Treasurer......................................................................Philip Hixon

Trustee.................................................................... Hon. Ann Keele

Trustee........................................................................ Justin Munn

Trustee......................................................................... Philip Hixon

Trustee...........................................................................Lizzie Riter

Trustee.......................................................................Chad McLain

Trustee ......................................................................Jim Gotwals

Trustee Catherine Hoopert

Trustee................................................................ Michael Taubman

TCBA President......................................................Philip D. Hixon

TCBA Pres. Elect.......................................................Mike Esmond

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Access to Justice..........................................Pansy Moore-Shrier

Animal Law ..........Katy Inhofe

Bench & Bar Kevinn Matthews

Children & the Law....................................................Lizzie Riter

Children & the Law Vice Chair..........Timothy Michaels-Johnson

CLE...............................................................Pansy Moore-Shrier

Diversity......................................................Ruth Addison Martin

Fee Arbitration............................................................Gary Crews

Law Related Education / Street Law.............................Co-chairs

....................................................Pierre Robertson , Kara Vincent

.Lawyer Referral .......Karen Wilkins

Membership Services....................................................Kara Pratt

Mentoring ......Shena Burgess

Military/Veterans ............................................. ...Mitchell Garrett

Military/Veterans Co-Chair.............................. Hon. David Guten

Nominations & Awards ........Kara Vincent

Pro Bono.............. Mac Finlayson

Pro Bono Co-Chair......................................................Aaron Tift

Professionalism ...........Rick White

Public Relations....................................................Steve Layman

Social Media.................................................... ....Collaborative

Special Events .......Natalie Sears

Tulsa Lawyer.................................................... Michael Taubman

Young Lawyers Division...........................................Billy Duncan

SECTION CHAIRPERSONS

ADR/Mediation..........................................................Melissa Fell

ADR/Mediation Co-Chair ....Lauren Lindsey

Bankruptcy Hon. Paul Thomas

Business/Corporate......................................Whitney Humphreys

Criminal Law ........Daniel Levy

Energy & Mineral Law...........................................Buford Pollett

Employment Law ....Jonathan Shook

Family Law ..Jordan Dalgleish

Juvenile Law.................................................... ..........Lizzie Riter

Juvenile Law Co-Chair.......................Timothy Michaels-Johnson

Litigation...............................................................Mark A. Smith

Litigation Co-Chair......................................Mbilike Mwafulirwa

Municipal Law............................................................Cassia Carr

Paralegals/Legal Assistant....................................Kathryn Keener

Paralegal /Legal Assistants Vice Chair.....................Gloria Jones

Probate/Estate/Elder.......................................................Co-chairs

................................Kelley Hunt, Phillip Jennings, John Gotwals

Solo/Small Firm .............................................Colton Richardson

Tax...........................................................................John Gotwals

Technology ...................................................Pansy Moore-Shrier

Workers Comp.........................................................Valerie Evans

* Section Chairs will be updated as positions are filled

Philip D. Hixon

A Message from the President 2022-2023

CELEBRATING THE RULE OF LAW

As you flip through this month’s issue of the Tulsa Lawyer, you will notice several announcements for the approaching Law Day/Law Week events. Law Day is celebrated on May 1 and was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958 to “celebrate the rule of law in a free society,” according to the United States Courts Law Day website. This year’s Law Day theme is “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.”

Keeping with the theme, this article attempts to be a civics lesson on the rule of law. With that said, what is the “rule of law”? Some have suggested the “rule of law” is the fundamental law found in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution as drawn from English common law and natural law. See Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, The Rule of Law and the Judicial Function in the World Today, 89 Notre Dame L. Rev. 1383, 1398-99 (2014). The contention is not without merit.

The Declaration speaks of the “Laws of Nature,” giving rise to “the separate and equal station” of “one people,” and their “unalienable Rights,” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

“[L]iberty, rightly understood, consists in the power of doing whatever the laws permit; which is only to be effected by a general conformity of all orders and degrees to those equitable rules of action, by which the meanest individual is protected from the insults and oppression of the greatest. This is a basic statement of the rule of law. The idea that we have a government of laws, not men, and that the law applies equally to all.”

Stephen B. Presser, The Development and Application of Common Law, 8 Tex. Rev. L. & Pol. 291, 294 (2004) (quoting Blackstone’s definition of “liberty” from 1 William Blackstone, Commentaries *6). The final sentence of the Blackstone quote is an apt summary of the rule of law and a personal favorite of mine.

The Constitution, which directs our republican form of government, dictates that the “government of laws” protect our “unalienable Rights” through, among other things, a separation of powers among the three branches of government. As Justice Thomas observed:

The idea has ancient roots in the concept of the “rule of law,” which has been understood since Greek and Roman times to mean that a ruler must be subject to the law in exercising his power and may not govern by will alone. The principle that a ruler must govern according to law “presupposes at least two distinct operations, the making of law, and putting it into effect.” Although it was originally thought “that the rule of law was satisfied if a king made good laws and always acted according to them,” it became increasingly apparent over time that the rule of law demanded that the operations of “making” law and of “putting it into effect” be kept separate.

Department of Transp. v. Association of Am. R.R., 575 U.S. 43, 70 (2015)(Thomas, J., concurring) (citations omitted). And interpreting such law delegated to the judiciary to further protect the “equal station” of the “one people.”

The principles and ideals underlying the “rule of law” and the fundamental law of our country are certainly worthy of celebration! I encourage you to participate in the activities coordinated by the Law Day committee under the leadership of Judge Martha Rupp Carter and Mary Clement. Many thanks to them for their dedication to the Law Day celebration.

Philip D. Hixon TCBA President, 2022-202

"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Street Law Giving More Time & More Opportunities

In January, the Street Law Committee moved its lesson time at KIPP High School from 8-9a to 11:45a-1:05p opening up more time with the class and twice as many students. The time also falls right before the lunch hour, allowing students to linger after lessons to wrap up group activities from the lessons just presented, ask followup questions, and engage in oneon-one mentoring with attorneys and law students. In February, the committee welcomed its newest volunteer attorney, Eric Strocen. Eric is an associate attorney with Wirth Law in Muscogee and serves as the President of the Northeastern Black Lawyers Association.

The lessons presented this winter included financial and banking basics, negotiating a lease, and moving into a rental property. Heading into Spring, our law student volunteers Cheyenne Barnard, Colten Kidd, and Victoria Goves will lead a lesson on interviewing for a job. All of these lessons include information on laws surrounding the topic. The students are actively engaged in robust conversations and then take part in an activity that will put the skills they’ve just learned to use.

The Committee would love to extend a very special thank you to McAfee & Taft for agreeing to sponsor a table for the Street Law students, who are also members of the KIPP debate team, to attend the Law Day luncheon. We are currently looking for sponsors to help cover costs for the law student volunteers to attend as well as the Tulsa County Mock Trial team winner (its always a tight race between Jenks and Owasso!) Please contact Tami Williams at 918-5845243 if you can assist.

We are looking for volunteers & sponsors for the 2023-24 school year. Contact Tami Williams for information.

(Below) Colten Kidd leads students on an exercise on banking.

(Below) From left to right: Volunteer Simon Falokun, Eric Strocen, and Pierre Robertson look on as students engage in a lease negotiations. Half of the group were designated as landlords and half as tenants.

(Left) Eric Strocen provides guidance and instruction to students during a Street Law lesson in February.

Above: 3L student Cheyenne Barnard working with a group of students.

Historical April

Birthday Trivia

Thomas Jefferson

April 13, 1743

Leonardo Da Vinci

April 15, 1452

Charlie Chaplin

April 16, 1889

Queen Elizabeth II

April 21, 1926

Al Pacino

April 25, 1940

William Shakespeare

April 26, 1564

Ulysses S. Grant

April 27, 1822

University of Tulsa College of Law Student Bar Association

Inaugural Diversity Day

On February 24th, the University of Tulsa College of Law Student Bar Association (SBA) hosted its inaugural Diversity Day. This student-organized event was hosted with the support of the Tulsa County Bar Association and the Northern/Eastern Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.

TU Law’s Diversity Day was based on the vision of Matthew Blewitt, a former SBA President and a December 2022 graduate of the College of Law. The event aimed to create a pipeline for historically excluded groups, from undergraduate students to young attorneys, to enter the legal field.

Sections of the day were coorganized with the TU Law Admissions office, which included two panels for undergraduate students. The first panel consisted of current diverse TU Law students who shared their experiences navigating the admissions process, the classroom, and other aspects of law school. This panel gave prospective students a window into the day-to-day life of current law students.

SBA also hosted a welcome luncheon where the Dean of Students, April Fox, eloquently spoke about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and added important personal anecdotes about her experiences as a differently-abled attorney. This luncheon also provided the first of many opportunities for law students to network with attending attorneys.

Breakout events followed the luncheon. First, an Admissions panel featuring diverse practicing attorneys was conducted for the prospective law students. This panel provided a way for attending prospective students to see themselves in the practice of law. The second breakout event was a panel for current law students, which also featured diverse attorneys and spoke to many of the same issues. Finally, a CLE organized by the Tulsa County Bar Association was provided free of charge to attending attorneys. This CLE, titled The Ethics of Inclusion: Developing the Words, Actions, and Achievements to Change Yourself and Your Practice, was graciously conducted by Tom Vincent II, shareholder at GableGotwals.

Next, the Diversity Taskforce organized a career fair that had over 25 employers in attendance. Attending employers represented private firms, fortune 500 companies, government employers, and non-profit organizations. One of the best-attended events by students, many attendees reported receiving at least one offer in the weeks since the event!

A short networking hour followed the successful career fair, which then transitioned to the Diversity Dinner and Awards Reception. Keynote speaker Cassia Carr, the Deputy Mayor of Tulsa, presented an entertaining and impactful speech about her background and the importance of inclusion, particularly for large organizations that serve a variety of demographics.

The awards portion of the dinner honored changemakers and inclusion champions. Crowe & Dunlevy received the Excellence in Inclusion Firm Award based on their Diversity Scholars program and willingness to help the students coordinate diversity day.

Damario Solomon-Simmons won the outstanding attorney advocate award for serving as relentless advocates on behalf of marginalized communities.

TU Law student Brendan Rolland received the Student Trailblazer award for his fierce commitment to uplifting the Native American Community.

Lastly, Pierre Robertson received the Outstanding Young Attorney award for his never-ending volunteer work and continued encouragement of TU Law students.

A particularly special memorial award was given to the family of Dwain Midget, whose spirit and dedication to uplifting the Tulsa community inspired TU Law students so much that an annual award will be given at all future Diversity Days in his honor.

Continued on next page...

Thank You for Supporting the Inaugural Diversity Day

The TU SBA is incredibly thankful for all of our participating sponsors and employers! Without their support, Diversity Day would not have been possible.

Platinum Sponsors:

Conner & Winters

Crowe & Dunlevy

McAfee & Taft

Ogletree Deakins

Williams

Premium Sponsor:

Hall Estill

Gold Sponsors:

Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson

Fredric Dorwart

GableGotwals

Graves McLain

ONEOK

Silver Sponsors:

Atkinson, Brittingham, Gladd, Fiasco & Edmonds

Sharon Weaver (Individual Sponsor)

Tulsa County Bar Association

Supporting Individuals:

Kara Vincent

Special thank you to the TCBA for its support and encouragement!

Participating Government Employers:

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Attorney’s Office (Eastern District)

U.S. Public Defender’s Office (Eastern District)

U.S. Probation Office (Northern District)

Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office

Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office

Participating Non-Profit Employers:

Oklahoma Indian Legal Aid Services

Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice

YWCA

Still She Rises

TU

SBA

Diversity Task Force:

Stephanie Acquario, Event Co-Chair

Malia Castillo Fields, Event Co-Chair

Lindsey Prather

Macullen Nadurak

Grayson Yauger

Emilee Morris Ratcliff

Jatelyn Taylor

TCBA LITIGATION SECTION MEETING

Buck Colbert Frankl in Annual Civil Rights Lecture

• Hon. Stephanie D. Davis, U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit

• Thursday, April 13th at 12 PM

• TU College of LawMoot Cour t Room

• RSVP by April 10th

• tulawalumni@utulsa.edu

The Litigation Section would like to inform its members that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephanie D. Davis will be visiting Tulsa on April 13, 2023 at 12;00pm.

Judge Davis will be the guest speaker at the Annual B.C. Franklin Civil Rights Lecture at the University of Tulsa College of Law at noon in the Moot Court Room.

The lecture is open to the public and the TCBA litigation section would like to encourage TCBA members to attend this special event and give Judge Davis a warm Tulsa welcome and hear her speak. Lunch is provided and registration is required. Please RSVP at tulawalumni@utulsa.edu before April 10, 2023. Seating is limited and expected to fill up quickly.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Tami Williams at Tamiw@tulsabar.com.

Mbilike M. Mwafulirwa Attorney

TCBF Annual Golf Tournament May 8, 2023 - The Club at Forest Ridge

Dear TCBA Membership:

The Tulsa County Bar Foundation is excited to announce its 2023 Charity Golf Tournament is scheduled for Monday, May 8th, 2023, at The Club at Forest Ridge’s par-72, 7,012-yard championship golf course. We hope you can join us for this long-standing event that has benefitted so many local charities.

As you are planning your budget for 2023, we would sincerely appreciate your support for our tournament which provides critical financial funding for worthy charitable beneficiaries. Proceeds from the 2023 tournament will benefit the Tulsa County Veterans Treatment Court, Tulsa Lawyers for Children, First Step Male Diversion Program, TCBF’s Community Outreach, and Emergency Infant Services.

As a leader in the community, we know you understand the need to take an active role in supporting area non-profits. Participating in this golf tournament will not only see your sponsorship go back into the community but also allow you the opportunity to network with other

players, sponsors, and guests. Sponsors are also recognized in the Tulsa Lawyer magazine, the official publication of the Tulsa County Bar Association, which is shared with approximately 2,000 attorneys. Sponsor information will also be posted on the TCBA website and all event signage. Please contact Tami Williams at the Tulsa County Bar Association at 918-584-5243 or tamiw@tulsabar. com for more information. We hope to see you, your employees, friends, and colleagues for a game of golf, food, and fellowship. . . all for the betterment of the Tulsa community.

Sincerely,

Brian Keester, TCBF 2023 Golf Tournament Chairman

Birthdays are for Giving

By being a member of the TCBA, you are also a member of the Tulsa County Bar Foundation. As a general rule, the funds that come into the Foundation are the result of a fundraising event for our community, and the monies raised are immediately distributed back out into the community through non-profit organizations.

In an effort to assist the Foundation, we have implemented a monthly “Fund the Foundation” program. To participate we are asking each member who has a birthday this month to consider making a donation to the Foundation. You can do so with the QR Code shown here.

If you are not currently a Fellow, please consider joining that program. As a thank you (and let’s be honest, an encouragement to other members), if you donate before the 10th of the month we will include a shout out to you in the next issue of Tulsa Lawyer Magazine.

If you wish to donate or join the Fellows program, please contact Tami Williams at tamiw@tulsabar.com.

Sincerely,

Philip Hixon, TCBA President 2022-2023

2023 Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club Books and Discussion Leaders

Larry Yadon will lead April’s discussion of Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann on April 27th at noon at the TCBA.

Registration can be made through Judge Martha Rupp Carter at mruppcarter@yahoo.com and is limited to fifteen persons. TCBA members may register themselves and up to one friend to accompany and participate with them. Judge Carter will confirm registration and provide necessary additional details for each session. TCBA members may register for any one or more or all sessions.

As requested by previous participants of the Law Day Book Club, this year the opportunity to participate in book club discussions throughout the year, running from May to December following the traditional book club, is offered. If you are interested, email Judge Carter at mruppcarter@yahoo.com indicating your interest, and, recommending book title(s) you would like to discuss. The Law Day Book Club members participating in this program will select the books to be discussed and volunteer to be the discussion leaders for each selected book.

Judge Martha Rupp Carter, 2023 Law Day Co-Chair

April 27thKillers of the Flower Moon

Author - David Grann

Discussion Leader - Larry Yadon

Date - April 27th, Noon

Location - TCBA

A Crime Writer’s Perspective

Larry currently serves on the Oklahoma mediation panel of Dispute Resolution Consultants. He has authored numerous articles about the American West, as well as authoring or co-authoring fourteen books of true crime and military history. Larry appeared in two episodes of the History Channel Series, Natural Born Outlaws profiling Pretty Boy Floyd, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. A recent Golf Channel segment about the May 26, 1981 murder of Telex CEO Roger Wheeler at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa is the subject of a book being finalized and possible TV series.

Each session is limited to fifteen persons. TCBA members may register themselves and up to one friend to accompany and participate with them.

Oklahoma City Meetings are held 6-7:30 p.m., Vitis okbar.org for dates or email debraj@okbar. org. In-person meetings in Oklahoma City are held at the office of Tom Cummings, 701 NW 13th St., Oklahoma City. The group will also meet virtually at the same time using BlueJeans. Email debraj@okbar.org for login information.

Tulsa Meetings are held 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the office of Scott Goode, 1437 S. Boulder Ave., Ste. 1200, Tulsa. scottbgoode@gmail.com Meeting Dates: Mar. 9, Apr. 13, May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 19, Sept. 14.

Register by emailing Judge Martha Rupp Carter at mruppcarter@yahoo.com

Please Consider This Your Personal Invitation

2023 Law Day events are either underway or coming shortly with opportunity for you to participate. The theme, “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration,” is exceedingly timely for these times. Our energy, interest, and attention are daily engaged as we question the nature of civics, civility and collaboration in the context of what we see, hear, and experience around us. The Law Day Committee has been active in planning and coordinating Law Day events to further interest and engage members.

Student art and writing entries have been solicited. Submittals will be judged and award winners honored at the student reception hosted at the Bar Center. Some student entries will be displayed at the Law Day Lunch.

A number of volunteers are already scheduled for the Ask-A-Lawyer program, an all-day community outreach in which lawyers address questions from individuals who call from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a variety of law-related questions. Have no fear, as some openings remain to help. Volunteers will be provided handy guides to aid in responding to questions. AskA-Lawyer is scheduled for May 1 at the Bar Center.

Two sessions of the Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club have occurred. Future sessions include one in March and the last on April 27 at noon. Openings remain to participate. The Book Club is looking to expand book club sessions proving more opportunities for TCBA members.

The Law Day Committee is also exploring a film event with more information forthcoming. As well, the Law Day Committee will collaborate with the Street Law Committee for civics programming for students centered on the fairy tale trial of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

And, the culmination of Law Day is the Law Day Lunch scheduled for Friday, April 28 at 11:30 am at the Doubletree Downtown. This year’s lunch speaker is not to be missed. The Law Day Committee is proud and pleased to invite you to hear Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief, Chuck Hoskin, Jr. Chief Hoskin’s leadership of 400,000 members of the Cherokee Nation and the necessary collaboration with federal, state, and local governments that such leadership entails is a living exercise in the Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility, and Collaboration.

We look forward to seeing you then.

2023 Law Day Committee

Co-Chairs

Hon. Martha Rupp Carter (ret.)

Mary Clement

Committee Members

Rodney Buck

Mary Bundren

Hon. Daman Cantrell

Dan Crawford

Heather Heck

Lizzie Riter

David Tracy

Tana Van Cleave

Tami Williams

2023 Bowling League Winners

The Flying Elvises

(L - R) Eric Tabor, Phil HawkinsTeam Captain, Micah Felton and (not pictured) Nate Lawyer.

Tulsa County High Schools Battle in Final Round of the Oklahoma Bar Association Mock Trial Competition

Two Tulsa County high schools once again battled in the final round of the Oklahoma Bar Association mock trial competition recently in the Ceremonial Courtroom in the Federal Courthouse in Tulsa. For the second straight year, Owasso High School edged out Jenks High School for the title. This is the third time in six years that the two teams have competed in the Finals with Jenks winning in 2017. Co-sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association Foundation, the 43 year old competition places high school students in actual courtrooms, taking on the roles of attorneys and witnesses in a fictional case. The trials are presided over by actual judges and attorneys where individual and team performances are evaluated. Over 300 attorneys and judges volunteered statewide to the program, contributing their time and expertise. Owasso’s victory marked an undefeated season for the team. This was

Owasso’s ninth straight appearance in the Finals, and the Rams’ fifth State Championship in six years. Both are OBA records.

This year's case involved a murder trial for a individual charged with shooting randomly off highway overpasses with the defendant claiming not guilty by reason of insanity for their defense. Owasso’s team successfully defended the accused “Highway Menace”. Judging and scoring the Final Round was Judge Jane Wiseman and Judge Stacie Hixon of the Oklahoma Court of Appeals, Judge Mark Schwebke of Tulsa Municipal Court, and attorney Dan Crawford. Federal District Judge Shonn Irwin was the Presiding Judge of the trial. “The Mock Trial competition has grown, and now appeals to high school students who are interested in drama, debate, public speaking, art and journalism," said OBA Mock Trial Committee Chair Jennifer Bruner Soltani said. “This competition gives students a unique opportunity to develop public speaking, presentation and critical thinking skills in a trial format but also offers courtroom artist and journalist components. The experience is one of a kind for students, teachers, and legal community volunteers.”

The Legal Rams are coached by Tulsa Co. District Judge Daman Cantrell and attorneys Ken Underwood and Kaylind Baker. Teacher Sponsors are Terry Waller and Kyra Schmidt. Jenks is coached by teacher Dana Mackay and attorneys Mike Horn, Jacob Downs, Morgan Medders, Stacy Accord and Jenny Proehl-Day.

This is Underwood’s 10th year to volunteer for the program. He said, “the Owasso Mock Trial teams we coach are always focused, hardworking, kind and compassionate, and they always bring us joy. This year is no exception, and the members of the 2023 Mock Trial team are all Champions in Law and Champions in Life."

Schmidt commented that “these students have an incredible work ethic and practiced for months to learn the rules of the law as well as every aspect of this case. It was exciting to see that hard work pay off for this team, and I am extremely proud of them!”

Owasso senior Lauren Hughes won Best Witness award at the trial and junior Alyson Bushey the Best Attorney in the finals. For Jenks, Elaine Gao was voted Best Lawyer and Jacob Shaddock was best Witness.

Owasso will represent Oklahoma at the National Mock Trial Competition in Little Rock, AR in May.

WINe IT ALL - February 17th

The theme was California Reds and the winning wine was the Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine!

Kyle Trice

Billy Duncan

Amanda Duncan

Paige Lovoi

Left: Michael Thelen

In Memory of ...

THOMAS G. HILBORNE, JR.

September 8, 1946 - March 8, 2023

Thomas G. Hilborne, Jr., passed away on March 8, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 76. He is survived by his wife Margaret Huffman, M.D., his daughters Laura Hilborne and Margaret Steinbach, and his three grandchildren Claire Hilborne, George Steinbach and Henry Steinbach.

He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on September 8, 1946. He resided in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was a founding member of the law firm of Hilborne & Weidman, a professional corporation. He specialized in the area of municipal bonds and public finance.

Tom attended Oklahoma City public schools where he graduated from Harding High School in 1964. He received his preparatory education at the University of Oklahoma (B.B.A. 1968) and his legal education at the University of Oklahoma (J.D. 1971) where he was an Editor of the Oklahoma Law Review, a member of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and the co-recipient of The Liberty National Bank and Trust Company Research Scholarship.

He was a member of the Tulsa County, Oklahoma and American Bar Associations. He was also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Military Appeals and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma.

He served as a Commissioner of the Professional Responsibility Commission of the Oklahoma Bar Association from 1983-85, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Private Purpose Borrowing of the Committee on Public Borrowing of the Section of Urban, State and Local Government Law of the American Bar Association, served as a member of the Select Committee to Advise the Oklahoma Securities Commission, as an associate member of the National Institute of Municipal Law Officers (Committee on Municipal Bonds-Expert Associate Member), and was a director of Tulsa Zoo Friends.

Tom was commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve in 1970 and was a graduate of the United States Army Southeastern Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia. After completing his active duty in the United States Army Reserve and receiving an honorable discharge, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General Corps., United States Navy Ready Reserve in 1972 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander before receiving an honorable discharge in 1982.

He was a member of The Economic Club of Oklahoma, a charter member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (Chairman, Committee on Federal Tax Law Relating to Issuers, 1979-80) and was elected to membership in the American College of Bond Counsel. He was a frequent lecturer and author in the fields of public finance and municipal bonds and represented clients in landmark municipal finance cases before the Oklahoma Supreme Court. His clients included the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (General Counsel for 16 years), Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority which operates the Tulsa State Fairgrounds (General Counsel for 38 years), as well as numerous cities, counties, towns and school districts throughout Oklahoma.

Tom was a licensed pilot and a certified scuba diver. He enjoyed flying and scuba diving and snow skiing in Canada, Austria and numerous ski venues in the U.S. Tom and his wife traveled the world and enjoyed many wonderful trips together.

Services were held on March 21, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church located at 709 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119.

Grapevine News

whose state and federal litigation practice areas include construction law, as well as all areas of general civil and business litigation.

Barrow & Grimm, P.C is pleased to announce the following changes:

James R. Hicks has moved from an Of Counsel role to the position of Common Shareholder. Mr. Hicks is the immediate past President of the Oklahoma Bar Association, having served the organization as President in 2022. He concentrates his practice in business and construction related litigation, while also representing clients in other civil litigation matters. Mr. Hicks received the American Bar Association’s First Place Award of Achievement for Service to the Public in 1994, the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer award in 1995, the Tulsa County Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer award in 1993, and the Tulsa County Bar Association’s President’s Award in 1992. Mr. Hicks was awarded the Bishop’s Cross by Episcopal Bishop of Oklahoma in 2021. Mr. Hicks has been selected to the Oklahoma Super Lawyers list from 20092022, and has been an AV Preeminent Rated Lawyer for the last seventeen years. Mr. Hicks was voted by the readers of Oklahoma Magazine as Best Attorney in the 2011 and 2012 “Best of the Best” editions.

Anne S. Maguire has been promoted to Common Shareholder. Ms. Maguire joined the firm in 2014 after graduating from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and practicing briefly with another prestigious firm in Tulsa. Ms. Maguire focuses her practice on business law, trust and estate litigation, real estate, and estate planning. She regularly counsels businesses and individuals on contract negotiations, real estate transactions, and trust administration and other related matters.

John S. Wolfe has been promoted to Preferred Shareholder. Mr. Wolfe joined the firm in 2016 and is a 2014 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law, and a 2015 graduate of the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law tax LLM program. Mr. Wolfe focuses his practice on corporate law, estate planning, real estate, and tax. He regularly counsels entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors on business formation and succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, contract negotiation and real estate transactions.

Emily B. Kosmider has been promoted to Preferred Shareholder. Ms. Kosmider joined the firm in 2019 after graduating with honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2014. Ms. Kosmider is a trial lawyer

Melissa A. Bell has been promoted to Member. Ms. Bell joined the firm in 2019. After graduating from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2013, Ms. Bell began her practice at the Law Office of Karen L. Carmichael & Associates. Ms. Bell primarily focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and probate and guardianship matters.

Dillon J. Hollingsworth has been promoted to Member. Mr. Hollingsworth joined the firm in 2019, after graduating from the University of Oklahoma in the same year. Mr. Hollingsworth’s practice includes general civil litigation, with a focus on business and real estate law, and corporate transactional services. Mr. Hollingsworth also provides regulatory and corporate guidance to a wide range of medical marijuana commercial licensees.

GableGotwals is pleased to announce the addition of Shareholder John D. Sullivan, who will lead the Firm’s presence in Texas, including being part of the team to launch the Firm’s Houston office. With more than 35 years of litigation experience, John has tried many types of cases in state and federal courts, focusing on civil trials and arbitration matters dealing with complex energy issues, commercial disputes, wrongful death and catastrophic injuries, environmental contamination, and insurance claims and coverage disputes. He has been in private practice for the last five years. Prior to that, he was in-house litigation counsel for two major energy companies – Texaco, Inc. and Shell Oil Company. John has counseled a broad range of litigation matters and disputes covering all aspects of the energy business, including onshore and offshore exploration and production, pipelines and terminals, refineries and chemical plants, service station and retail operations, lubricants, shipping, and trading.

“I am very excited to join such a reputable law firm. I have worked with GableGotwals for over 30 years as a client and co-counsel on a wide range of matters. I know first-hand how robust the Firm’s capabilities are in practice areas like litigation, transactions, and regulatory within the energy, oil, and gas industry, and I look forward to helping establish the Firm's presence in Houston,” said John Sullivan. For more

than 40 years, GableGotwals attorneys have been advising clients who conduct business in Texas or are based in Texas. “This growth opportunity is part of our strategic plan to continue providing excellent service to our clients. Many of our attorneys are licensed and actively practice in Texas, representing clients in litigation and transactional matters. Therefore, an expansion into Texas, specifically Houston, is a natural step. Several of our Shareholders worked with John in the past, which made him a natural fit to join the Firm and help with our expansion in the region, ensuring our continued growth and success,” said John Dale, CEO of GableGotwals.

Crowe & Dunlevy attorney J. Christopher Davis has been inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), a prestigious organization of North American trial lawyers dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics and the administration of justice.

Davis is a shareholder and director in the firm’s Tulsa office where he represents businesses and individuals in state and federal courts. A seasoned litigator and mediator, Davis is Oklahoma’s only active paraplegic trial attorney. He joins Crowe & Dunlevy attorneys William G. Paul, Andrew M. Coats, D. Kent Meyers, and Clyde A. Muchmore as fellows.

“To be inducted into the college is one of the most important honors a trial lawyer can receive,” said Andrew M. Coats, Crowe & Dunlevy attorney and former president of the ACTL. “For Chris to be asked to provide the response on behalf of the new inductees is a benediction as to what kind of lawyer and person he is.”

The ACTL is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only to experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.

Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province.

“Chris is an experienced, talented trial lawyer that well deserves this honor. He clearly meets the high standards of this organization,” said Roger A. Stong, Crowe & Dunlevy’s president and CEO. “Our firm is proud of Chris and our relationship with him, and we are glad to have another colleague as part of this association.”

A former federal law clerk, Davis serves as an Adjunct Settlement Conference Judge, is a member of the Committee on Local Rules and Court Operations, and is a former member of the Admissions and Grievances

Committee for the U.S. Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Davis was recently named to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, America’s foremost professional organization for experienced mediators and arbitrators.

With more than 27 years of experience in the courtroom, Davis represents clients as a member of the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution, Insurance, Intellectual Property, Litigation & Trial, and Product Liability Practice Groups.

The ACTL maintains and seeks to improve the standards of trial practice, professionalism, ethics, and the administration of justice through education and public statements on independence of the judiciary, trial by jury, respect for the rule of law, access to justice, and fair and just representation of all parties to legal proceedings.

C lassified a ds

Statewide law firm with offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City is seeking attorneys for both offices with 3+ years of experience in litigation. Compensation DOE. Excellent benefits, support, and atmosphere to develop your practice. Submit confidential resume, references, writing sample and compensation requirements to OklaLawFirm@gmail.com.

DOWNTOWN TULSA Law Office space for rent in historic Reunion Center only minutes from the courthouse. Phones, fax, copier, scanner, internet, receptionist, secretary, paralegal and bookkeeper, all available, plus use of conference room, meeting rooms, kitchen and storage space. Convenient parking close to building. These offices are updated and beautifully decorated. Contact (918)599-8600.

Did you know the TCBA has a cookbook?

CONVENIENT MIDTOWN TULSA OFFICE AVAILABLE. Nice 204 square feet, threewindow professional office including a small lobby area outside the office. Access to full kitchen, inviting conference room, well-appointed lobby, light reception, and excellent parking. Call 918-901-9000 or email theoffice@paulhburgess.com for photos and more information.

Marinated Goat Cheese

4 lg. fresh basil leaves or Italian parsley

4 Roma tomatoes, most of the seeds removed

4 T. capers, rinsed & drained or 6 Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

4 oz. goat cheese

Salt & fresh ground pepper

Cut basil in chiffonade. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients, except the goat cheese, salt & pepper. Put log of cheese in the center of shallow serving bowl and pout the tomato mixture over it. Marinate the goat cheese for about an hour. If marinating longer than an hour, refrigerate and take out 30 minutes before serving to return to room temperature. Just before serving, add salt if needed and grind pepper over all. Garnish with sprig of basil.

If you need a fresh appetizer try this great recipe from longtime TCBA member Ann Domin.